Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
Minutes

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) was scheduled to meet on Tuesday, April 1, 2003, at 1:15 p.m. following the meeting of the Audit Committee, at the Houston Public Library in Houston, Texas. Following the adjournment of the Audit Committee meeting, Chairman Pickett called the meeting of the full commission to order at 1:20 p.m.

Commissioners Present:
Sandra Pickett, Chairman
Kenneth Carr, Vice-chair
Elizabeth Sanders
Sandra Holland
Diana Cox

Commissioners Absent:
Chris A. Brisack

Staff Present:
Peggy D. Rudd, director and librarian
Edward Seidenberg, assistant state librarian*
Manuel Alvarez, director, Information Resources Technologies*
Ava Smith, director, Talking Book Program
Michael Heskett, director, State and Local Records Management*
Deborah Littrell, director, Library Development
Donna Osborne, director, Administrative Services*
Chris LaPlante, director, Archives and Information Services*
Michael Ford, Information Resources Technologies Division
Lee Sutherland, Information Resources Technologies Division*
Regina Miles, executive assistant

Guests Present:
Gwen Land, internal auditor, Jefferson Wells International*
Bill Wilson, Himmel & Wilson Library Consultants
Dale Fleeger, Northeast Texas Library System
Lynne Handy, North Texas Regional Library System
Meller Langford-Allen, Houston Area Library System
Dwayne Brown, Houston Area Library System
Paul Coleman, Texas A&M University

A quorum being present, Chairman Pickett called the meeting to order at 1:20 p.m.

1. APPROVE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 11, 2003 AUDIT COMMITTEE AND COMMISSION MEETINGS.

Commissioner Sanders moved to approve the Audit Committee minutes; Commissioner Holland seconded. Motion passed. Chairman Pickett requested clarification of a figure mentioned in the discussion of agenda item five (5); Seidenberg responded that the figure was correct. Commissioner Carr moved to approve the Full Commission minutes; Commissioner Sanders seconded. Motion passed.

2. PUBLIC COMMENT.

There was no public comment.

3. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND LIBRARIAN.

Director and Librarian Peggy D. Rudd reported on the following items:

• Library of Texas Resource Discovery Project: The agency has a contract for the Resource Discovery Service, the next phase of development in the Library of Texas Project. The contract is on the April 1 meeting agenda for approval by the commission.
• TexShare and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) grants for Fiscal Year 2003: The agency is continuing to monitor the situation with the TIF grants for Fiscal Year 2003, which have been frozen. The TexShare Communications Plan will continue to be implemented.
• 78th Legislative Session: As bills are filed, they are being carefully reviewed by staff to determine any impact on library, archives and records management services.

4. REVIEW AND APPROVE CONTRACTS GREATER THAN $100,000.

Beverley Shirley discussed the contract not to exceed $900,000 up for approval by the commission. The contract will be the culmination of a participatory process involving TSLAC, the Texas Center for Digital Knowledge, and representatives of libraries throughout the state. This phase of the Resource Discovery Service focuses on two functions: virtual catalog and integrating search and retrieval interface. The vendor will provide customized software to run the Resource Discovery Service. TSLAC staff recommend awarding the contract to Index Data. They are known especially for producing open source software and tend to be less proprietary than other companies. This should ensure that future licensing and expansion will be a relatively economical process. Ms. Shirley also noted that the source of funds is the Library of Texas grant money.

Chairman Pickett noted that the contract is effective through August 31, 2003, and asked what would happen after that date. Ms. Shirley stated that the software development will be completed and ready to mount, and the agency will do the work of populating the Resource Discovery Service. The agency will be working with libraries to prepare them to populate the Service through the contract with the Texas Center for Digital Knowledge.

Chairman Pickett asked how the software will be maintained. Ms. Shirley responded that part of the bid included anticipated maintenance costs, and that Kevin Marsh, developer networked services, Library Resource Sharing division, did a five-year projection of anticipated maintenance costs. He found that Index Data maintenance costs would be low. Chairman Pickett asked if the software could still continue to be maintained even without TIF funds. Ms. Shirley responded that it would.

Commissioner Carr moved to approve the contract with Index Data not to exceed $900,000; Commission Cox seconded. Motion passed.

5. ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS GREATER THAN $500.

Director and Librarian Peggy D. Rudd reviewed the following gifts:

The Talking Book Program received an unrestricted $7,768.00 donation deposited on March 18, 2003 from the Estate of Ann Bowman Lee. The Talking Book Program gift was one of thirty-one gifts to charities this very generous woman remembered in her Will. Of the charities Mrs. Lee remembered in her Will, several were to charitable organizations that provide aid to the disabled, thus, Mrs. Lee seemed to have had a particular interest in helping the disabled.

State and Local Records Management received a gift of $4,400.00 from AT&T Wireless deposited on March 6, 2003. This is an annual gift for rental of a tower on the agency's land at Shoal Creek.

The Archives and Information Services division received an unrestricted $2,543.80 donation deposited on March 6, 2003, from Diversified Land Management, Inc., as compensation for allowing their contractor, Seitel Data Ltd., access to the Sam Houston Center land for the purpose of drilling test holes and placing seismic cables and geophone sensors on the property. The sensors will be on the property for approximately two weeks.

Chairman Pickett shared with the commission a humorous story relating to the gift from Diversified Land Management, Inc. Commissioner Sanders moved to approve acceptance of the gifts; Commissioner Holland seconded. Motion passed.

6. DISCUSS AND APPROVE AUDIT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ON: A. Discussion of Internal Audit of Information Resources Technologies function; and B. Discussion of options for Internal Audit Services for FY04.

A. Audit Chairman Sanders moved that the commission approve the Audit Committee recommendation to accept the Audit of the Information Resources Technologies function; no second needed. Motion passed.

B. Audit Chairman Sanders moved that the commission approve the Audit Committee recommendation to renew the contract with Jefferson Wells International for one (1) year; no second needed. Motion passed.

7. AUTHORIZATION TO PUBLISH PROPOSED RULE REVIEWS: A. CHAPTER 2, GENERAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES; AND B. CHAPTER 5, COUNTY LIBRARIANS CERTIFICATION.

A. Donna Osborne addressed the commission and requested approval to publish the proposed rule review of Chapter 2. Commissioner Carr moved to approve the request; Commissioner Cox seconded. Motion passed.

B. Deborah Littrell addressed the commission and requested approval to publish the rule review of Chapter 5. Commissioner Sanders moved to approve the request; Commissioner Carr seconded. Motion passed.

8. AUTHORIZATION TO PUBLISH PROPOSED RULE AMENDMENT TO 13 TAC 3.9, RELATING TO THE REPORTING OF STATE PUBLICATIONS.

Beverley Shirley addressed the commission and requested approval to publish for comments proposed amendments in 13 TAC 3.9 in the Texas Register. Commissioner Holland moved to approve the publication for comments of amendments in 13 TAC 3.9 in the Texas Register; Commissioner Sanders seconded. Motion passed.

9. INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PUBLIC LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT STUDY.

Bill Wilson of Himmel & Wilson Library Consultants addressed the commission and gave an interim report on the Texas Public Library Development Study. The following are highlights from Mr. Wilson's presentation:

• Himmel & Wilson has completed forty-two (42) Focus Group meetings in twenty-one (21) locations around the state. They met with library directors, library trustees, lay representatives and representatives of the library "Friends" organizations.
• Himmel & Wilson has worked to find out issues affecting libraries at the local level.
• Himmel & Wilson is currently working to develop a series of recommendations and directions for what will improve library development in the state of Texas.
• Himmel & Wilson will present some of their findings and recommendations during a program on April 4 during the Texas Library Association Annual Conference.
• Himmel & Wilson will hold a series of "Town Hall Meetings" to present their findings to members of the library community. Several of the sessions will be conducted via videoconference.
• Following the "Town Hall Meetings," the consulting team will begin work on a draft of the final report. The report will be posted on the Himmel & Wilson Website in interactive form, and there will be a comment period of a of minimum two-weeks.

With no further business, Chairman Pickett adjourned the meeting at 2:56 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Peggy D. Rudd
Director and Librarian

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